Following recent attacks on public infrastructure across the country, the Nigerian government has put up some strategies in place to curb the menace.
These strategies came up on Monday at a Town Hall meeting on the protection of public infrastructure in Abuja.
Host of the event and the country’s Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the town hall meeting is both urgent and important, because it touches on an issue that is at the very core of economic growth and national development, which is public infrastructure.
The Minister said when public infrastructure is being targeted for destruction by some unpatriotic citizens; it calls for great concern and immediate action, hence the government’s decision to organize the town hall meeting.
“Nigeria has long suffered massive infrastructure deficit due to decades of neglect, population explosion and the absence of maintenance culture.
But since coming into office in 2015, the Muhammadu Buhari Administration has embarked on a rapid economic growth with equity, people-centered economic management as well as prioritizing human capital development through enhanced social services and infrastructure development.”
Alhaji Mohammed said the Federal Government deliberately adopted an inclusive development framework that spreads infrastructure to all sections of the country.
“Despite a drastic drop in revenues and competing priorities, especially that of tackling insecurity, the Administration has invested heavily in providing new infrastructure, in addition to reconstructing and rehabilitating existing ones,” he explained.
However, the Minister lamented that in recent times, such laudable efforts of the government were being thwarted by some unpatriotic citizens through wanton destruction of critical infrastructure, thereby depriving the greater citizenry.
“Railway tracks are being subjected to wanton destruction, bridge railings are being removed, manhole covers are being pilfered, street lights and other power infrastructure, oil pipelines, telecoms facilities and critical aviation infrastructure are being damaged or stolen.
Apart from endangering the lives of fellow innocent citizens, such unpatriotic acts take a toll on the government’s limited revenue, as it seeks to replace, rehabilitate or totally reconstruct such destroyed infrastructure.
On another level are the incessant attacks on critical public facilities such as police stations and INEC offices. As a matter of fact, the destruction of public infrastructure and facilities is not just vandalism; it is a form of terrorism.
Removal of rail tracks can cause train derailment, with deadly consequences. Tampering with aviation infrastructure endangers the lives of air passengers. Attacks on police stations have left many police personnel dead. These are all acts of terror.”
In organizing these town hall meetings, the Minister said the main objectives of the government is to find new ways of curbing the menacing activity of vandilization of public infrastructure.
In doing that, the government intends to create a thought pattern in the public mind that government property are indeed citizens’ property and so must be protected for the benefit of all.
Also the government is mapping out strategies to sensitize communities, especially those where infrastructure are located, to be conscious of the import of such and protect them,” he explained.
The Minister also revealed that law enforcement agencies will work towards exposing, arresting and prosecuting all those who engage in buying pilfered infrastructure items along with those who bring such to them to sell.
“Furthermore, the government will sensitize the larger citizenry to support the widespread campaign on the protection and ownership of public infrastructure/assets, especially in the Railways, Roads and Aviation sectors among others” he said.
The President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmed Lawal who was represented by Senator Dauda Yaro assured the Executive of mutual working relationship in the protection of public infrastructure.
The Senate President said the legislature will speedily pass or enact laws that will ensure protection of public infrastructures once such bill comes to it.
Beside the host Minister, 4 other Ministers whose purview is seemingly worse hit were panelists at the Town Hall meeting.
For Babatunde Fashola who superintends Ministry of Works and Housing, destruction of public infrastructure has been one of the most daunting challenges.
He said even though government response in fixing them, such resources could have been deployed to other uses for the benefit of the citizens. He then urged citizens to protect public infrastructure because it belongs to them.
Rotimi Ameachi who is in charge of Transport said while it is economically challenging to repair such damaged infrastructures; the danger of lives involve in it is even more worrisome. He gave an analogy with Rail tracks vandalization and the consequence of a train accident.
Minister of Federal Capital Territory Musa Bello and Hadi Sirika spoke in similar direction, urging citizens to use community effort in guiding public infrastructure for the good of all.
Different members of audience suggested different strategies to the government. Some are of the view that deploying technology will be a better solution, some suggested massive security presence around public infrastructure.
Other members of the audience believe community sensitization and engagement will help in that regard. Eventually it was unanimously agreed by the panelists that there was an urgent need for a realistic judicial amendment to tackle the punitive aspect, because as it stands, the laws of the land in that respect is too weak and ineffective to deter offenders.
Nnenna.O
